Mephisto Master Chess vs Novag Diamond 10 Game match

[Kasparov111]

The game is already over after 20 moves, it's an easy endgame for Master Chess up two full passed pawns, Diamond will have to sacrifice a piece to stay in the game but it will still be down too much material, so I can end this game here already...nice play from Master Chess...

Rc8 17. Bxa7 Bb4 18. Ke2 Bc3 19. Nec4 Rd8 20. Rac1 1-0

Master Chess Leads the Match: 3-2

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/s7gPdhw1

[Kasparov111]

Game 6 is a Caro-Kahn-Panov attack with Novag Diamond as white..

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. O-O O-O 10. Re1 Bf6 11. a3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 b6

[Kasparov111]

23 moves in and Diamond has a target to work with on the a file by doubling its rooks, the position does look fairly drawish though...white's c pawn is a it weak...

13. Be4 Bb7 14. Qc2 h6 15. Bf4 Rc8 16. Qa4 a6 17. Rad1 b5 18. Qc2 Na5 19. Bxb7 Nxb7 20. a4 bxa4 21. Ra1 Nd6 22. Bxd6 Qxd6 23. Rxa4

[Kasparov111]

Both sides moving the rooks around trying to create some pressure along the first 3 files, Master Chess gets cheeky with 36.Bb4!, blocking the queens defense of the knight... But Diamond calculated past the bluff very well....

Qc6 24. Re3 Rfd8 25. h3 Rd6 26. Qb3 Qc7 27. Rb4 Rc6 28. Rb7 Qd8 29. Qb2 R6c7 30. Rb3 a5 31. Qa3 Ra8 32. Rb5 Rca7 33. Qa4 Rc8 34. Ne5 Be7 35. Kf1 Bd6 36. Nc4 Bb4

[Kasparov111]

And the two machines decide to simplify to 2 rooks vs a queen, which in this endgame is just a draw, well played from both....

37. Nb6 Rb8 38. cxb4 Rxb6 39. Rxa5 Rxb4 40. Rxa7 Rxa4 41. Rxa4 1/2-1/2

Master Chess Leads the Match: 3.5-2.5

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/cdD2AUDV

[Kasparov111]

Game 7 is a Sicilian Defense: Moscow Variation Sokolsky Variation with Master Chess as white...


1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 Nc6 6. O-O g6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bg7 9. Be3 Nf6 10. f3 O-O 11. b3 Nh5 12. Nc3

[Kasparov111]

20 moves in and Master Chess is down the exchange but has some nice tactical chances...the white bishop looks like a menace on the dark squares and the d5 knight is nicely positioned...

f5 13. exf5 Bxd4 14. Bxd4 Qxf5 15. Be3 Nf4 16. Qd2 Nb4 17. a3 Nc2 18. Bxf4 Nxa1 19. Nd5 Nxb3 20. Qc3

[Kasparov111]

Game ends in a draw, black has to get rid of the powerful white bishop and knight and return the exchange...the final position is just a draw...

Qd7 21. Bh6 e6 22. Bxf8 exd5 23. cxd5 Rxf8 24. Qxb3 Re8 25. Rb1 b6 26. Rc1 Qe7 27. Qd3 Kf7 28. f4 Qf6 1/2-1/2

Master Chess Leads the Match: 4-3

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/fyQbWd59

[Kasparov111]

Game 8 is a English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Fianchetto Line...with Novag Diamond as white...

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O e4 7. Ng5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Re8 9. Qc2 Qe7 10. d3 exd3 11. exd3 d6 12. Bd2 Bf5 13. Rfe1

[Kasparov111]

Feeling the positional pressure Master Chess goes crazy with 21.Kxd3?, now it simply loses the exchange and will be in big trouble in the endgame...

Qd7 14. f3 Ne5 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. fxe4 Bg6 17. Rab1 b6 18. Rf1 Rac8 19. Rf2 c6 20. Bf4 Qe7 21. Bh3 Nxd3

[Kasparov111]

Black is down a bishop but up 3 pawns, this will be hard to save, looks losing...

22. Qxd3 Bxe4 23. Qe2 Bxb1 24. Qxe7 Rxe7 25. Bxc8 Re1+ 26. Rf1 Rxf1+ 27. Kxf1 Bd3+ 28. Kf2 Bxc4

[Kasparov111]

And Novag Diamond wins a nice game, Master Chess blundered and there was no saving the position...

29. Bb7 b5 30. Bxc6 d5 31. Ke3 f6 32. Kd4 Bxa2 33. Bxb5 1-0

The Match is tied at: 4-4

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/u0j2abOX

[Kasparov111]

Game 9 is a Queens Gambit Accepted: Janowski-Larsen Variation with Master Chess as white...reading through some old posts I learned that Master Chess as alot of the older Mephisto Boards run an aggressive version of Fritz 3...which explains why it's so strong tactically....


1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 e6 6. Nbd2 Qd6 7. O-O Bf5 8. Ne5

[Kasparov111]

11 moves in and the position is already crazy...Diamond blundering with 10.Nxe4? it had to play 10. bg6!....now Master Chess plays 11Nxf7! and its fire on the board...

Nbd7 9. Qf3 Qb6 10. e4 Nxe4 11. Nxf7

[Kasparov111]

Some more fireworks from Master Chess with the nice deflection 15.Ba5! black is in real trouble...

Nxd2 12. Bxd2 Rg8 13. d5 Be7 14. dxe6 Bxe6 15. Ba5